Everyday Activities that Harm the Planet

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit; and most of us know how hard it is to break a bad one. But what if you didn’t even know it was a bad one in the first place? There are so many everyday “normal” things-turned-habits that we do that have a huge negative impact on this planet. Granted, it may be really hard to break some of these habits; but, I want to share them on this paperless blog.

1. Leaving the lights on:
2. You’ve probably heard this a million times before but turning the light off when you leave the room, even if you’re only going for a few minutes, really does make a difference to the environment, since it saves a finite source of energy that can’t be replaced.

1. How you're commuting:
2. Whether you’re flying away on business trips or commuting to work on a daily basis, the way we travel is one of the biggest environmental polluters in our lives. You may not be able to give up these habits, but taking steps to reduce them will impact the environment, local pollution levels, and your health. Consider ditching the car once or twice a week and cycling or walking to work instead, and lift sharing or carpooling with work colleagues on alternate days.

1. Leaving the tap running:
2. Whether you’re washing the dishes or brushing your teeth, leaving the tap running while you do so wastes a vast amount of water. It may seem like a small water saving, but soaking dishes before washing them and turning off the tap while you brush your teeth really does reduce the amount of water you use.

1. Using plastic bags:
2. There is a strong likelihood that the plastic bags you bring home end will end up in the ocean, or worse. Plastic bags can be used and reused as bin linings, storage for other things or even shopping again. Consider buy a cloth bag instead and make a habit of keeping it in your pocket or bag or resuing your plastic bag as much as you can.

1. How you're washing your clothes:
2. Chlorine bleach poses huge risks for the environment. Once chlorine reaches open water, it reacts with minerals in the ocean to form dangerous toxins that take years to disintegrate. It also sickens marine life. Even low levels of chlorine in a water system leads to long-term health concerns for fish and bird populations. Try washing your clothes with do-it-yourself (DIY) natural bleach alternatives. Adding a half cup of baking soda to your detergent will boost cleaning power. You can also use oxygen based bleach, which is more gentle on the environment.

1. Charging your computer overnight:
2. Charging all of your electronics overnight sucks up more power than needed. Assuming you leave your chargers plugged in throughout the day and plug your electronics in at night, you use up energy that isn't directed toward the charging of your device at all.

1. Throwing your ink and batteries out:
2. We throw whatever we don't need in the trash, but there are some things that don't belong in landfills. Household batteries contain trace amounts of mercury and toxic chemicals that damage wildlife and sea life when they accumulate and leak into ecosystems around the world. Recycling batteries is easy and more environmentally conscious.

1. Wasting Paper:
2. We live in a world of mass paper usage (which comes from the felling of millions of life-sustaining trees). Consider recycling or reusing your paper at home for the most part. And, when it comes to your office, you can even go completely paperless with companies like Signtech.Opt for paperless forms and paperless business forms instead of cumbersome business forms that pile up and leave a nasty print on the eco system.
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5. SignTech Forms is an innovative paperless platform that converts existing forms and documents into paperless forms that can be completed on mobile devices and electronically signed seamlessly (with full data integration).  For more information visit www.signtechforms.com or email expert@signtechforms.com